


As Luck Would Have It

by kaynibbler16



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Fluff, Pushing Daisies AU, with a little angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-05-25 16:30:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6202654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaynibbler16/pseuds/kaynibbler16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette knew that she shouldn't have done it, but she'd do it again if it meant he was still around. Still, bringing her dead first love back to life was certainly going to make her life much more interesting than she had anticipated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So far this is only a ficlet, but I might turn it into a collection of oneshots. If you've never seen Pushing Daises before, I would highly recommend it. There is lots of pie and murder.

It was probably a mistake, but Marinette couldn’t bring herself to feel guilty about it at that very moment. All that mattered was the man currently making dinner in her kitchen. The very same man who had once been her best friend and, secretly, first love.

He was also the same man who was supposed to be dead.

“Marinette?”

Marinette gave a start at the sound of her name. “Yes, A-Adrien?”

“Would you like some wine? It’s been a stressful day.” Adrien came out of the kitchen wearing her red and black apron, two bottles of wine in his hands.

“Um, sure.”

He smiled at her. “Which one are you in the mood for?”

“Either one is fine.”

Adrien frowned. “Are you alright?”

Marinette nodded, afraid of the words that were threatening to spill out of her. Afraid that she might confess that she never thought she would ever see him again. Afraid that she would tell him all the things that went unspoken between them before she moved away when they were eight. Afraid to tell him what had really happened to his mother all those years ago.

“Okay,” he said. “White it is.”

Marinette helped him set the table, careful not to stray too close to him for fear that she might touch him again.

They ate in near silence for a few minutes before Adrien set his fork down and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. “So, how long have you been able to wake the dead?”

Marinette choked on her pasta. “O-Oh, well, um, for a while? I didn’t realize it until I was eight.”

“Really? So you’ve been able to do it since we were kids.” He grinned at her, fascination glimmering in his green eyes.

“Yeah.” Marinette blushed at his gaze. He had become incredibly handsome in the years they’d been apart.

Adrien frowned. “You never mentioned it.”

“No, I, that is, it’s complicated.” Marinette looked away as memories from the first few days she’d known about her abilities came flooding back. “I didn’t fully understand what was happening at the time.”

She still didn’t understand how her abilities had developed or why she had them.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “This is all so new to me. I mean, I was dead this morning and now I’m having dinner with my childhood friend. Do you do this for people often?”

“No! No, I don’t. There are certain…limitations to my ability,” Marinette said.

“Really? Then I’m a special case?”

Marinette nodded. “You are special.”

Adrien gave her a gentle smile and picked at his food with his fork. “Thank you, Marinette. I’m glad that it was you who gave me a second chance.”

“Why?” she asked, completely baffled by his words.

“Because you have always been there for me when I needed you most. It’s not every day your first love saves your life.” Adrien dropped his fork as soon as he realized what he had said. “Th-that is, I mean-”

“F-first love?” Marinette squeaked out.

Clearing his throat, Adrien gave her a weak smile. “I meant to wait to tell you, but yeah. You were the first girl I ever loved, Marinette.”

“Oh. You were my first love, too,” Marinette whispered.

“Yeah?” Adrien’s smile grew wider. “Well, maybe we could, you know, give it another go.”

“What?”

“I missed you, Marinette. I’ve already died once and never told you how I felt. I don’t want to let another day go by without you in my life.” Adrien reached his hand across the table but stopped as Marinette jerked her hand away before he could touch her.

“Careful, Adrien. Remember, no touch.” Marinette folded her hands in her lap. “How would that even work between us? We can’t touch each other without you dying. Well, dying again.”

“There are ways. We could wear gloves when we hold hands or wear coats when we hug. Please, Marinette, I don’t want to lose you again. Can we at least try?”

Marinette knew that such an arrangement would be dangerous, very dangerous, but she had missed him so much and was a complete sucker for his green eyes.

Despite her better judgement she nodded and said, “Yeah, I’d like that.


	2. Chapter 2

“So you now run your family’s bakery?” Adrien asked from the other side of the sofa.

Mariette tucked her feet underneath her and pulled a blanket onto her lap. “Yeah. Mom passed away a few years ago and I’ve been running it ever since.”

“I’m so sorry. Your mother was always so kind to me. Your dad, too.” Adrien took another sip of wine, the light from the television dancing across his features. “It must be hard, running it all by yourself.”

“It can be, but Nathanael and Theo are a great help.”

This caught Adrien’s attention. “Nathanael and Theo?”

“They work for me part-time. Well, Theo does. Nathanael is full-time.”

A crease formed between Adrien’s eyebrows. “You spend a lot of time with them?”

Marinette looked at Adrien, noting his small frown. “I guess. Mostly, I work in the back.”

Adrien didn’t comment further, instead he kept his attention on the news program in front of him. They watched in silence as the news anchors covered local politics and the weather.

“We haven’t talked about how I died yet,” Adrien said, turning to look at her. “It wasn’t an accident.”

Marinette was surprised. “What do you mean?”

With a heavy sigh, Adrien closed his eyes and said, “My uncle Gabriel has many enemies and I’ve been the target for several attacks. What happened that night was no accident.”

“I thought Gabriel was a fashion designer,” Marinette commented. “Who would want to attack the nephew of a fashion mogul?”

“You’d be surprised. He’s not just into fashion. It’s…complicated.”

“Oh.” It was the only thing Marinette could think to say.

“Yeah. Still, I’m not dead anymore and I’m curious to know who it was that killed me.”

Marinette contemplated his words for a moment before she added, “Well, I might be able to help you with that.”

“Really? And how does my princess plan to find my killer, hm?” Adrien asked.

Marinette blushed at Adrien’s slip of tongue. It had been a long time since he had called her his princess. It had started as a joke; he was the knight in shining armor and she was the princess he was determined to rescue from the bad guys. It seemed the tables had turned now.

“Well, I have this friend that works as a private investigator and solves murders. I, um, occasionally help her.”

Adrien grinned. “Are you saying that you solve murder mysteries?”

Marinette giggled. “Sort of. Mostly, it’s Alya who solves them. I just help.”

“Really? I bet you’re amazing at it.” Adrien rested his arm on the back of the sofa, a smug smirk on his face. “I always thought you would make a great hero.”

“I’m not a hero.” Marinette blushed and looked away from him.

“You’re my hero.” He said it so casually, Marinette thought she had misheard him at first.

“W-what?”

Adrien rested his head on the back of the sofa as he closed his eyes. “Remember when we were kids and we used to play superheroes?”

“Yeah?”

“I was Chat Noir, the super awesome cat guy, and you were Ladybug, heroine of justice and protector of the innocent.”

Marinette smiled at the memory. “I remember you always tripped over your own tail.”

Adrien laughed, a faint blush on his cheeks. “I wasn’t as coordinated back then, huh?”

“Not so much.”

“You were my lady, remember?”

A giggle escaped Marinette as she recalled how Adrien would get down on one knee, dandelions in hand, and proclaim his undying devotion to her as his one and only Ladybug. It was one of the many reasons she had fallen in love him.

“You still are, you know.” Adrien opened his eyes and stared hotly at her, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. “My lady.”

Marinette could hardly breathe, her eyes transfixed on his bottom lip. “Adrien…”

“I really wish I could kiss you right now.” Adrien leaned closer to her, his eyes never leaving her face. “I want so much to touch you again, even if it’s just to hold your hand.”

“Adrien, we can’t.”

“I know. I just…”

“I’m sorry.” Guilt festered deep in Marinette’s abdomen. “I wish things could have been different.”

“Me too, but if this the way things have to be then I’ll take it. We’ll find a way to make it work.”

“Okay.”

At that moment, they both pretended to hold the others hand, knowing it wasn’t real but for that moment it was real enough.


	3. Chapter 3

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would you care to explain to me why there is a dead man in your living room?”

“He’s not dead, Alya.”

“I can see that! My question is why isn’t he dead?” Alya Cesaire glared at her best friend, arms folded and an angry frown gracing her pretty features.

Marinette swallowed and looked away from Alya, eyes unconsciously drawn to her new roommate and resident undead man. “It’s complicated.”

“How complicated can it be? You said you were going to his funeral to pay your respects, not bring him back to life and move him into your apartment,” Alya hissed.

“I know!” Marinette growled back. “I know, but it just sort of…happened.”

“Just sort of happened? You just sort of happened to touch your dead first love, bring him back to life, and forgot to touch him again? Marinette, you know what happens when you don’t touch the dead again within a minute—”

“I know, Alya.”

Alya leaned in close to Marinette and stared her in the eye. “Who was it?”

“The funeral director,” Marinette whispered.

“Marinette!”

“I know, I know, but he wasn’t exactly a good guy. He stole jewelry and precious items off the bodies,” Marinette said in defense of her actions. “I couldn’t do it, Alya. I couldn’t touch Adrien again.”

“I just hope this doesn’t come back and bite both of us in the ass, Mari,” Alya said. “Never mind, we’ll talk about this later. I have a job for you.”

“Can it wait?” Marinette asked, casting he gaze towards Adrien again. He was currently flipping through Marinette’s collection of fashion magazines.

“No, and dead boy can’t come with us,” Alya said as she grabbed her coat.

“But, I can’t just leave him here—”

“Yes, you can. What do you think would happen if someone saw the walking dead waltz right through the front door of the morgue?”

Marinette glared at her, but conceded to her point. “Fine, just give me a few minutes, okay?”

“Alright, but dead boy is not coming.”

A few minutes later found Alya, Marinette, and Adrien packed into Alya’s vehicle.

Alya sat in the driver’s seat, glaring at Marinette and shaking her head. “‘Fine,’ you said. ‘Just give me a few minutes,’ you said. You caved like a sinkhole.”

“I’m sorry.”

Adrien leaned in towards Alya and Marinette, careful not to touch Marinette. “So, where are we going?”

“We are not going anywhere. Marinette and I are going to the morgue and you are staying in the car.”

“Oh come on, I can be a great help,” Adrien insisted with a pout.

“I’m sure you could be,” Alya muttered sarcastically.

Marinette decided to intervene before they started arguing. “Look, what if Adrien wore a hat and sunglasses? No one would be the wiser.”

“I would be the wiser,” Alya shot back.

“I can blend in. I used to sneak out of my house all the time without my uncle knowing.”

Alya groaned. “Fine, but you stay quiet and out of the way. I have a job to do and I don’t need the mortician noticing anything amiss. Understand?”

“Puurrfectly,” Adrien drawled, shooting Marinette a wink. “What could possibly go wrong?”

It seemed quite a few things could go wrong.

“Bees, Marinette! Hundreds of bees!” Alya screeched as she pulled another stinger from her skin.

“You told me to wake him up! How was I to know?!” Marinette shouted back as she plucked a stinger from her arm.

Adrien watched both women bicker back and forth as he pulled a couple of cold compresses from the freezer. He should have known better than to tempt fate. At least he was spared from getting stung because of all the clothing he wore to prevent anyone from discovering his identity.

“He told us not to roll him over!”

Marinette, unable to come up with a good retort, just growled and pulled out the last stinger from her skin. She was lucky to only get stung a few times. Thankfully, she wasn’t allergic.

“Well, now we know what killed him,” Adrien said from across the room. “Death by bees. Not a pretty way to go.”

“Now we just need to find out why and by who so I can get paid,” Alya said, having calmed down enough to use her inside voice.

“Hey, I’m not exactly doing this for free.” Marinette grabbed a cold compress from the counter where Adrien had placed them and laid it over where she got stung. She hissed at the sharp sting.

“Yes, yes, so we can get paid. Now, we know he worked as a bee keeper so that might explain the bees, but why would they suddenly attack him?” Alya pulled out her notepad and analyzed her notes.

“We should ask his wife,” Adrien chimed in.

Alya nodded. “She’s my current prime suspect. It’s too late to go see her now, so we’ll go in the morning.”

“We?” Marinette asked. “As in Adrien, too?”

Alya sighed. “Seeing as you two come as a set now, yes.”

Marinette smiled. “Thanks, Alya.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you bring some macarons. We don’t know how long it will take.”

“Will do.”

Alya left and Marinette and Adrien were alone once again.

Adrien set a glass of wine in front of Marinette and sat down on the chair across from her. “So, that was eventful. Is it always like that?”

“You mean hundreds of bees swarming out of a dead body? No, I can say that has never happened before.”

Laughter filled the room as the stiff atmosphere eased between the two.

“I like her. She looks out for you.”

“Who, Alya?” Marinette asked.

“Yeah. She’s a little rough around the edges, but she clearly cares about you,” Adrien said.

Marinette took a sip of her wine. “Yeah, she’s great.”

“I’m glad.”

“Why?”

Adrien stared at her for a moment before he said, “Because.”

“Because why?” Marinette huffed when he didn’t give her a straight answer.

“Just because.” Adrien winked at her.

Marinette rolled her eyes, knowing full well she wasn’t going to get an answer out of him. “Jerk.”

“You love it.”

Marinette would never admit it to him, but she enjoyed their banter. She had really missed him. “Whatever, you goof. Anyway, we should get to bed. Alya’s an early riser and will want to get started first thing in the morning. Goodnight, Adrien.”

Adrien stretched out on the sofa, one arm draped over his stomach and a grin that was far too smug on his face. “Goodnight, princess.”


	4. Chapter 4

“So, how long have you been working here, Nathan?”

“It’s Nathanael and I’ve been working here for a few years now.”

Marinette watched the exchange between the two men through the window between the kitchen and front of the shop.

Adrien sipped his coffee and gave Nathanael a cool smile. “You’ve been here quite a while, then?”

“I guess.” Nathanael stared at the newcomer with wariness. His boss had brought the man in that morning and claimed that he was an old friend. He seemed rather shady, especially because he evaded any direct question about his past. “How long have you known Marinette?”

“Oh, we’ve been friends for years. We’re really close.”

Marinette watched the two men size each other up and decided to break it up before they got into a fight. “Adrien, could you help me back here?”

“Of course, princess!” Adrien was out of his seat and in the kitchen within seconds.

Marinette giggled. “Eager much?”

“I’m always ready to help my lady,” Adrien said as he grabbed an apron and wrapped it around his waist. “So, what did you need help with?”

As the two worked, conversation flowed freely. They talked about the things they’d done in the years they’d been apart. Marinette had taken an interest in fashion and liked to design and make her own clothes when she wasn’t at the bakery. Adrien had taken up physics and fencing, but spent most of his time secluded to his home.

“Gabriel didn’t like to go out much, except for work. He has a reserved personality, but he did care for me. That much I am sure of. He just didn’t show it very often.”

Marinette’s heart went out to him, wanting nothing more in that moment than to provide him with some form of physical comfort. “You miss him.”

Adrien stopped and looked at her. “Yeah, I guess I do. I love being with you, Marinette, but I do miss home sometimes. I’m sorry.”

“Never apologize for that, Adrien. This must be difficult and after everything that’s happened I can imagine you’re more than a little homesick,” Marinette said, careful to keep her voice down so no one outside the kitchen could hear her.

Adrien move so quickly that Marinette didn’t have a chance to react.

Something cool and distinctly plastic pressed against her face before a pair of warm lips pressed against her own. It was soft and muted by the cellophane wrap between them, but it was the most tender kiss Marinette had ever experienced.

As Adrien pulled away, Marinette murmured, “You shouldn’t do that, Adrien. It’s dangerous.”

“I don’t care. I couldn’t go another minute without kissing you.”

With apparently nothing else to say, Adrien went back to work. Marinette finished the next batch of cookies on autopilot, her mind a million miles away.

He had kissed her.

Adrien had just kissed her.

There was only one other instance when he had pressed his lips to hers and that was when they were eight years old. She had come over to his house to tell him goodbye and he had made her promise to not forget him.

She swore she never would and she had kept that promise all these years.

He kissed her right before she left that day. It was awkward and over quickly, but it was the memory Marinette cherished most.

Maybe they could make this work.

Maybe she should stop thinking about all the ways their relationship could go wrong and starting appreciating what she had at that very moment. And at that very moment she had Adrien Agreste smiling at her with a smudge of flour on his face and a rolling pin in his hands. She couldn’t be happier.


	5. Chapter 5

“This is nice,” Adrien said as he grasped Marinette’s gloved hand in his own. “See, we can do this.”

Marinette blushed, but couldn’t contain her smile. “It’s been so long since I’ve held your hand. It’s bigger than it used to be.”

“I’d hope so. I am a full grown man now,” Adrien preened.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Your voice cracked just the other day.”

“Ha ha. You’re so funny.”

Marinette giggled at Adrien’s pout. “It was so cute, though.”

“Cute? Me?” Adrien stared at her in mock horror. “Dashingly handsome, maybe. A complete stud, sure. But, cute? No. Nope.”

They strolled through the small park nearby Marinette’s apartment, enjoying the chilly evening air that signaled that winter was drawing in soon. The bakery was closed that day and they had spent the better part of the morning and afternoon cleaning. Marinette never knew that Adrien liked to clean, but he told her it was comforting for him. She couldn’t say the same.

Marinette rested her head on Adrien’s arm as they passed an older couple walking their dog. She couldn’t help the envious pang she felt when the husband kissed his wife’s cheek. Marinette winced.

Adrien, unfortunately, caught her. He tensed beside her and looked straight ahead, his expression hard. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but knew it wasn’t anything good. Moments like these were becoming more frequent, especially when Nathanael was around. Adrien put up a good face, but she could tell he was frustrated.

The tension between the two men had grown in the past few weeks. At first it was only subtle comments as they competed for her attention at work, but recently Adrien began to withdraw into himself. Whenever Nathanael was in the room, Adrien would go elsewhere and Marinette wouldn’t see him for hours on end sometimes.

“We should go see a movie this weekend,” Marinette suggested in hopes of pulling Adrien out of his sour mood. “Or, maybe go to that new restaurant on Beal and 10th.”

Adrien gave a noncommittal hum, but didn’t otherwise respond.

Marinette tried again. “What if we went to the art gallery? They have a new exhibit that I’ve been wanting to see.”

Adrien’s only response was a tight smile and a shrug.

Okay, that was enough.

Marinette pulled free of Adrien’s grasp and put her hands on her hips. “Okay, talk. Something is bothering you.”

Adrien sighed. “I’m just a little tired.”

“Nice try. Come on, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, Marinette,” Adrien said, still not looking at her.

Now she was certain that something was off. He never called her by her first name; it was always ‘princess’ or ‘my lady’ nowadays, but never just ‘Marinette.’ “Adrien, please tell me what’s bothering you.”

“It’s nothing, okay.” Adrien finally turned around to face her. “I just…don’t want to talk about it.”

The only word that Marinette could think to describe Adrien’s expression was defeat. “Adrien—”

“We should head back to your apartment now. It’s getting late.”

Marinette wanted to cry when she heard Adrien refer to it as ‘her apartment’ and not ‘home,’ as he had done since he’d settled in there. Something was wrong and she didn’t know how to fix it.

A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she pulled her jacket tighter around herself, her hair masking the droplets from view. “Okay.”

They walked in tense silence all the way back to the apartment and Marinette secluded herself to her bedroom for the remainder of the night and cried silently into her pillow.

The next morning Adrien was no where to be found.


	6. Chapter 6

“Okay, please stop crying on my paperwork,” Alya said as she attempted to salvage whatever she could that wasn’t already smudged by Marinette’s tears. “What happened?”

Marinette attempted to explain the current state of her relationship with Adrien, but all that came out were hiccups, high pitched squeaks, and something about a scarf.

Alya patted her friend on the back as she continued to cry. She knew it had something to do with Adrien and had an idea as to what might have happened. Ever since Adrien had met Marinette’s employee, Nathanael, it was clear to see that they didn’t like one another. The two men both had feelings for Marinette and attempted to one up each other whenever she was around.

But every time Nathanael touched Marinette’s hand or hugged her goodbye, Adrien would tense up and pretend he wasn’t jealous.

Alya sighed and sat on her desk in front of Marinette. “Let me guess, you two had a fight?”

Marinette nodded. “I-I pushed h-h-him t-to tell me what w-was bothering him an-and he said he was f-fine, but I-I kept p-pushing him a-and now he hates me!” Marinette sobbed.

With a roll of her eyes, Alya said, “Oh, please. Dead boy worships the very ground you walk on. There is no way he could hate you because of some silly argument.”

Tear stained eyes looked up at Alya, a glimmer of hope shining in them. “Really?”

“Absolutely. Now, what exactly happened between you two?”

Marinette wiped the tears off her cheeks, took a deep breath, and launched into the events from the previous night.

“So let me get this straight; you asked him what was bothering him, he got snippy with you, and then the next day he was gone?”

“Yeah. No note or anything.”

“What a prick,” Alya growled. “What a complete and jealous prick.”

“Jealous?” Marinette asked, confused. “Why would Adrien be jealous?”

“Oh, hun. Remember when you fell off the ladder three weeks ago and Nathanael caught you even though Adrien was right there?”

“Yeah?”

“Dead boy was green with envy.”

Marinette stared at Alya. “You mean, he’s jealous that Nathanael caught me?”

“He’s jealous that Nathanael got to be your hero.”

“But I would have hit the ground if Nathanael hadn’t been there to catch me!” Marinette stood up and began to pace.

Alya cocked an eyebrow. “And Adrien couldn’t do that without dying. Imagine, having to watch another man be there for you when he couldn’t. You saved dead boy, but he couldn’t save you.”

Marinette stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide. “You mean, he’s upset that he wasn’t able to catch me?”

“That, plus the fact that Nathanael has a massive crush on you and Adrien knows it.”

“Nathanael doesn’t have a crush on me!” Marinette squeaked. “He’s just really sweet and likes to help out and watches Tikki for me whenever I ask him to and oh my god! He really does have a crush on me!”

Alya watched as her friend frantically paced back and forth as she muttered to herself. “Have you checked Nino’s place yet? Dead boy has taken a liking to him ever since that incident at the club.”

Marinette ceased her pacing. “No, I haven’t.”

“I still have his address.”

An hour later, Marinette stood outside Nino’s apartment door, hand raised but she didn’t knock. What if Alya was wrong and Adrien didn’t want to see her? What if Adrien was angry with her? What if Adrien really did hate her?!

With a mental slap, Marinette shook off the anxiety threatening to swallow her whole and rapped three times on the door. There was a loud thump and a shouted obscenity before the door swung open to reveal a disheveled Nino. “Oh, hey Marinette,” he said, a little louder than necessary.

“Hey, Nino. Is Adrien here?”

Nino laughed nervously. “What would give you that idea?”

Suspicious, Marinette tried to peer around the man in front of her and caught sight of a pair of legs just as they disappeared around the corner. Nino moved to block her view. She looked away, tears stinging her eyes. “Well, if you do see him could you tell him I’d like to see him.”

Nino shot a quick look behind him. “Yeah, sure. I’ll let him know. I mean, if I see him, of course.”

Marinette nodded and handed Nino a blue scarf. “Oh, and could you give him this. It’s supposed to be cold the next couple of days. I never got the chance to give it him.”

With a weak smile, Marinette left Nino’s apartment and headed for the bus stop. As she waited, memories of the last time she spoke to Adrien ate away at her. Why didn’t he just talk to her instead of running off?

“Marinette!”

Marientte was jolted from her thoughts by a voice she would know anywhere. Adrien was running down the stairs of Nino’s apartment building, scarf in hand. He jogged over to her and stopped a few feet away, hair wind tousled and eyes blood shot.

They stared at one another for moment before Marinette said, “Adrien, I’m sorry for pushing you the other night. I should have—”

“Don’t apologize, please. I was an ass. I’m sorry for the way I acted.” Adrien scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. “And I shouldn’t have left without saying a word.”

“Adrien—”

“Please, princess, let me say this.”

Marinette smiled as a tear made its way down her cheek.

At the sight of the tear, Adrien panicked. “No, no, please don’t cry. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

A giggle interrupted his tirade.

“You—your laughing?” Adrien asked, confusion stilling his movements.

“You called me princess, not Marinette. Sorry, I’m just happy to hear you call me that,” Marinette explained. “I love it when you call me princess.”

“Oh,” Adrien whispered. He turned pink. “Well, you are. My princess, I mean.”

“Yeah, yeah I am.”

They smiled at each other.

Adrien cleared his throat. “Right, what was I saying again? Oh, right, I was trying to explain my behavior the other night. Although, I really don’t have much of an excuse and I would understand if you were angry with me and—”

“Adrien, breathe.”

“Right, yes, sorry. Um, the thing is I was, well, I was jealous,” Adrien admitted. “I was jealous of Nathanael and his ability to be there for you when I couldn’t. I was jealous of the fact that he could touch you and comfort you in ways that I can’t and—and I’m coward, so I ran.”

Silence stretched between them. Marinette took a step towards him. “Oh Adrien.”

“I wish I could be a better man and just get over these feelings, but it’s so hard to watch others save you and only be able to watch.” He bowed his head, shame all over his face.

Marinette hugged him, careful of his bare hands. “You are a good man, Adrien. Nathanael is my friend, but it’s you that I want to share my life with, not him. I get jealous, too. I was jealous of that brunette you helped at the market the other and of that pretty dancer girl that we met last week. You can touch them freely without fear and I can only watch.”

Adrien chuckled. “You know my eyes are only for you, princess.”

“And mine for you. I care for Nathanael, but I love you.”

Adrien’s eyes softened, his smile genuine. “I love you, too.”

Marinette grabbed the other end of Adrien’s scarf and wrapped it around her hand. “Our relationship isn’t perfect, but I love what we have together and I don’t want anyone else except you.”

A relieved breath rushed out of Adrien. “Me too, my lady. Me too.”


	7. Chapter 7

“So I was thinking we could stop by that new fabric store on Sheffield tonight.”

“Okay. Did you want to grab dinner on the way home?” Adrien asked as he pulled some sugar cookies from the oven.

Marinette nodded. “How does Thai sound?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“We’ll stop by—”

Marinette was interrupted as the door to the shop slammed open. “What a tacky shop! Who even eats here?”

Marinette whipped her head around to give the patron a piece of her mind and was startled to see Chloe Bourgeois, Gabriel Agreste’s top model, stroll up to the counter like she’d rather be anywhere else at that very moment. Marinette was so shocked that she almost didn’t see Adrien dive into the backroom, knocking over several empty trays.

“Adri—”

“Where is Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” Chloe demanded. “I need to speak with her.”

“That would be me,” Marinette said as she walked up to the rude model. She’d talk to Adrien after dealing with the woman currently glaring at her. “What do you want with me?”

Chloe Bourgeois was tall in her stiletto heals, every inch of her covered in high end fashion. Her eyes trailed over the baker’s body with an arrogant smirk on her face. “Can’t say I expected much, but even I’m surprised by how tacky you look. At least you match your shop.”

Anger flooded Marinette’s veins as she reigned in the rage threatening to spill over. “If you’ve only come here to insult me then feel free to see yourself out. I have a shop to run.”

“How pathetic. Whatever. I need you to return Adrien’s locket.”

This gave Marinette pause. “What locket?”

“Oh please, like you don’t know. His mother’s locket, the one he was supposed to be buried with,” Chloe said as she flicked invisible pieces of lint from her jacket. “I know you have it.”

“How the hell would you know if I had his locket? He was buried with it, wasn’t he?”

Chloe sneered. “It seems they couldn’t find it for the funeral and Mr. Agreste wants it back. You are the only one who would take it.”

Marinette growled. “What the hell does that mean? I wouldn’t take Adrien’s locket.”

“You are not fooling anyone. I know you’re obsessed with him. Why else would you go to the funeral of a man who you haven’t seen in nearly twenty years?”

“He was my childhood friend,” Marinette ground out, fury pulsing under her skin. “I didn’t even know that Adrien had a locket so I can’t help you. I would like you to leave now.”

“Fine, but I will be back.”

Something really bothered Marinette about the terrible woman. “Why are you looking for it anyway? Why doesn’t Mr. Agreste come get it himself?”

“Because Mr. Agreste is a very busy man and I am the only person he would allow to come get it.”

“But why you?”

Chloe stopped at the door to shop, turned her head, and smiled nastily at Marinette. “Why? How sad that you don’t know.”

“Don’t know what?”

“That I was Adrien’s fiancee.”


	8. Chapter 8

“I can’t believe I trusted you!” Marinette shrieked as she picked up another pillow, tears streaming down her face. “You are such an ass, Adrien Agreste!”

“Princess, please let me explain!”

“Don’t you ‘princess’ me, you jerk! I bet you called your _fiancee_ that, too!”

“She’s not my fiancee, Mari! I swear!” Adrien ducked as the pillow flew past his head.

Marinette’s face was flushed with rage as she looked around for another pillow to throw. “Oh, and I suppose she just imagined that she was your fiancee then, hmm?!”

“Yes, she did!” Adrien shouted from behind the sofa, waving his hands in surrender. “We barely knew each other, but she became obsessed with me and was convinced we were perfect for one another. I never proposed or had any intention whatsoever to marry her. Please, princess, believe me!.”

Pillow raised, Marinette considered his words for a moment. “So, you weren’t engaged?”

Adrien stood up cautiously and came around the sofa to stand in front of her. “No, I wasn’t.”

Marinette lowered her arm, suddenly embarrassed by her behavior. “Oh.”

Relieved, Adrien gently removed the pillow from her grasp. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

With a sigh, Adrien rocked back on his heels and smiled sheepishly at her. “It’s okay. She’s a handful, believe me.”

“What is your history with her?” Marinette asked, taking a seat on a nearby chair.

“Well, it’s complicated,” Adrien said. “It all started with a photo shoot. Gabriel wanted to have the covergirl of his new line take a few practice shots at the house and I saw that she was nervous so I talked with her until she felt better. After that, she was all over me whenever she was around.”

Marinette looked up at him, eyes misted over with tears. “I’m sorry I overreacted.”

Adrien squatted down in front of her, hands resting on her clothed knees. “No, princess, I’m sorry I never told you.”

“But I should have trusted you—”

“And I should have mentioned it,” Adrien interrupted. “Plus, she has a bit of a chip on her shoulder when it comes to you.”

“What? Why? We’ve never met before.”

“You know, because…” Adrien turned away, cheeks reddening.

“Yes?” Marinette implored, bending down to catch his eye.

Adrien sighed. “Because I might have mentioned you to her. I might have mentioned you a couple…dozen times.”

“What?”

“Chloe gets jealous easily. If I even so much as looked at another woman, she would glare at them or do something to discourage their attentions towards me.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “What? That’s horrible.”

Adrien gave her a rueful smile. “Yeah, but I did feel a bit sorry for her.”

“Really? Why?”

“She didn’t have any real friends. The closest person to her other than me was her assistant, Sabrina.” Adrien stood up and sat on the sofa across from Marinette. “She isn’t always that way, but it doesn’t excuse her behavior.”

“She called my shop tacky,” Marinette said, but she didn’t feel quite as bitter about it as she thought she would.

Adrien cringed. “Again, she wasn’t very happy about how often I praised you. It bothered her that the one person who occupied my thoughts wasn’t her.”

Marinette chuckled. “Oh, I occupied your thoughts, did I?”

“You usually do,” Adrien said, unabashed.

It was Marinette’s turn to blush. “Yeah?”

Adrien smiled at her. “Yeah.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Hello, handsome.”

Marinette lifted her head at the sound of a woman’s voice coming from the patron section of the bakery. All she could see was Adrien leaning back against the counter, his shoulders tense, and his hands gripping the counter top.

“Um, hello,” Adrien said. “What can I get you, miss?”

“Oh, that depends. What do you recommend? Because I’m in the mood for something tall, dark, and handsome.”

“Uhh…”

Marinette saw red as she walked out of the back room. “Excuse me, is there a problem?”

Peering around the side of Adrien, Marinette found herself face to face with a brunette with green eyes.

The other woman glared at the person who dared to interrupt her. “I was just asking this gentleman what today’s special was, but I think I already found it.”

The regulars in the seating area turned around to watch the scene with fascination. They had all grown used to the young couple’s daily drama, most of them having become fond of the two, but the entrance of the young woman with green eyes certainly added a twist.

“In that case, can I ring you up for a raspberry macaron or two,” Marinette asked, a saccharine smile on her face. “It is today’s special, after all.”

The woman ignored Marinette and leaned closer to Adrien, placing a hand on his chest. “What do you think? Would you like to share a macaron with me?”

“Um, well, you see,” Adrien stuttered, eyes flicking between Marinette and the handsy woman who currently had him pinned against the counter.

Marinette had had enough. “Ma’am, if you aren’t going to buy anything then could you please stop harassing my boyfriend and leave.”

This caught the woman’s attention. “Excuse me? Is that how you treat your customers?”

“You haven’t bought anything so you’re not a customer, are you?” Marinette sneered, jealousy burning in her gut.

The woman was offended, but didn’t let it show. “Why would I want to buy anything from this grubby little shop. The food is obviously poorly made. Whatever, I have better things to do.” She turned to Adrien, handed him a card, and shot him a wink. “When you have finished wasting your time in this sad excuse for a bakery, give me a call.”

After the woman sauntered out, Adrien turned to Marinette. “Why were you so rude to her?”

Marinette was taken aback. “Didn’t you hear what she said about my bakery?”

“Yeah, but that was after you told her to leave.”

“So you’re defending her, then?”

Adrien pushed away from the counter. “She didn’t do anything wrong until you insulted her, Marinette.”

“Besides getting overly friendly with my boyfriend,” Marinette said, arms crossed over her chest.

“I can handle myself.”

Marinette quirked a brow. “Really? Because it didn’t look like you were handling it.”

Adrien froze. “What?”

Marinette realized what she said a moment too late. “I, no, what I mean is—”

“I know what you meant, Marinette,” Adrien said coldly.

“I’m sorry.” Marinette bowed her head in regret. “I’m so sorry, Adrien. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Adrien said nothing so she continued.

“I never should have implied that you would—I’m sorry.”

Adrien sighed. “No, you’re right. I didn’t exactly push her away. She took me by surprise.”

“She was quite forward, wasn’t she? I should apologize to her next time I see her.”

It was then that the couple noticed that they had an audience watching them. They quickly escaped to the back room of the bakery, pink as the freshly made raspberry macarons in the display case.


	10. Chapter 10

“Adrien, what is this?”

“A cat.”

“I can see that. Why is it in the kitchen?”

“Because he was hungry and it’s cold outside.”

Marinette rubbed her temple and sighed. “Tikki won’t like this.”

“Oh, come on, princess. He’s all alone in the world with no one to care for him,” Adrien said, his green eyes pleading with her. “Just for a few days.”

In that moment Marinette swore to herself, not for the first time, that she wouldn’t let Adrien win her over with those eyes of his again. It was an empty threat.

“Fine, but he stays in kitchen. He probably isn’t house trained.”

It was a few hours later that Marinette came to the conclusion that the devil itself resided within that demonic little furball. So far he had scratched everything that came within reach of him, completely shredded her new tablecloth, and thrown up on the floor three times. And to top it all off, the malicious creature seemed to have taken a shine to her boyfriend, which made him absolutely delighted.

This needed to stop.

“Adrien?”

His smiling face popped up from behind the table. “Yes, princess?”

“Um, do you think we should maybe take it to the vet?”

“Hm, that’s a good idea. Who knows what he caught out there. Would you like to get a check up, Plagg?” Adrien cooed to the cat.

Marinette blanched. “Plagg?”

“Isn’t it a great name?!”

“No, it really isn’t.”

He frowned at her. “Tikki isn’t much better, you know.”

“Tikki is perfect!” Marinette squeaked in dismay. “At least she doesn’t try to rip up my table cloth!”

“I said I’d get you a new one!”

Marinette huffed. “Well, he’s not allowed in my room. Who knows what he’ll do to my new duvet.”

“Fine, he can sleep with me. Would you like that, Plagg?” Adrien stroked the black cat as it purred happily in his lap.

Marinette glared at the creature. The little monster was a right terror but she would tolerate it so long as it made Adrien happy.

For now.

The next morning Marinette woke to the sound of something scratching at her bedroom door. When she opened the door she saw the tiny demonic cat from hell happily waiting for her.

In his mouth were the remains of a dead rodent.

Marinette’s resounding shriek could have woken the dead that even her touch could not.

It was a full hour before Marinette opened her bedroom door again, but only after much coaxing from Adrien.

Thus began the secret war between woman and cat.


	11. Chapter 11

“What do you want, dead boy?”

“Good to see you too, Alya.”

Alya watched Adrien close the door to her office before he settled into the chair in front of her desk. “Can I help you with something?”

A subtle tinge of pink blossomed on Adrien’s face as he scratched the back of his neck. “Um, there was something I wanted to ask you.”

“Yes?”

“Well…”

Alya huffed. “Out with it, Agreste!”

“Marinette’s birthday!” Adrien croaked. “Mari’s birthday is this weekend and I was wondering if you might, um, if you might know what she wants this year?”

Alya blinked at him in confusion. “Isn’t that your area of expertise?”

Adrien winced and shook his head. “I haven’t spent a birthday with Mari in years and her tastes have changed from crayons and sketch books.”

“She still uses sketch books.”

“I know, but I wanted to get her something more… _romantic_.”

“You two, I swear.” With a shake of her head, Alya sank even further into her chair. “Look, why don’t you try flowers and chocolates. I’m sure Marinette will like those just fine.”

A frown marred Adrien’s handsome face. “But that’s so… _average_.”

“Nothing wrong with average, Adrien.”

“Yeah, but Mari’s so much more than average. I want to get her something special. Something unique, like her.”

Silence followed his declaration as Alya just stared at him. “Boy, you are so far gone the search party has given up.”

Adrien pouted. “Are you going to help me or not?”

“Fine!” Alya threw her hands into the air. “How about you ask Nathanael or Theo? They always get her things for her birthday.”

The air in the room turned icy. “No. Thanks, but no.”

Alya couldn’t help her curiosity. “Really? She loves the gifts they get her.”

Adrien turned away from Alya, his lips pursed tightly. “The gifts…what kind?”

“Hm?”

“What kind of gifts do they get her?”

Alya smirked. “Oh, you know…”

“Know what?” There was a slight bit of panic in his voice.

“Well, last year Nathanael got her a set of pencils she’s been looking at for some time and Theo got her a cute little purse with ladybugs on it.”

“Oh,” Adrien said, not looking at her. “So, what? How does that help me?”

“Well, they got her those things because they are things that she likes. With what you know about her now, what do you think she would like?” Alya pressed, her sharp eyes boring into him. “What things would she want her boyfriend to get her for her birthday?”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Ah. I think I might have an idea.”

“Good man. Now, get out of my office.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

With that, Alya was allowed to go back to the nap that Adrien had so rudely interrupted. Or, at least she would have if a man dressed in a pigeon suit hadn’t just burst into her office seconds after Adrien left.

Well, no good deed goes unpunished.

A few days later, Alya was sitting at her desk working on a case when she received a phone call from Marinette. After a few seconds of solidly squealing, Alya was informed that Adrien had given Marinette a necklace with a heart pendant that had the words “ _Forever, my lady_ ” engraved on the back.

“Not bad, dead boy. Not bad at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felt that there needed to be some more fluff before the next chapters because… _reasons_. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


End file.
